Amalie Rehm

Amalie Rehm

Amalie Eleonore Augusta Rehm (born March 5, 1815 in Steinheim near Memmingen , † March 11, 1883 in Neuendettelsau ) was the first superior of the Neuendettelsau deaconess institution .

Life

Amalie Rehm was born on March 5, 1815 as the first daughter of the Steinheim pastor Michael Rehm and his wife Elisabetha Zangmeister. As early as 1816 the family moved to the Upper Swabian town of Memmingen, where the father was appointed deacon of St. Martin and in 1823 received the first pastorate at St. Martin. Amalie Rehm attended school from 1821 to 1827. She was always one of the best students and was often awarded book prizes. From 1827 to 1828 she attended Sunday School with lessons in reading, writing, arithmetic and non-profit knowledge. On November 25, 1832, the mother died and the 17-year-old Amalie took over the management of the household and the upbringing of the younger brothers. Her sister, who was three years younger, helped her. She joined the women's association founded on February 4, 1848 for the promotion of the infant care facility and got to know Caroline Rheineck , who worked there.

During his visit to Memmingen on August 14, 1842, Amalie Rehm met the missionary of the Basel Mission of the Awakening Movement , Felician Martin von Zaremba . She later reported that Zaremba had sowed good seeds in town and country. A short time later, Amalie Rehm, together with five other unmarried women, founded the association for Christian female education in the heathen countries with the aim of collecting money for the Basel mission. Amalie became aware of Wilhelm Löhe through F. W. Semm and Caroline Rheineck . Amalie Rehm accompanied Caroline Rheineck on her second visit in November 1853 to Neuendettelsau, where Wilhelm Löhe founded the first deaconess institution in Bavaria. He invited the two of them to help set up the institution. Her father agreed and so she entered there. February 27, 1854 was the foundation day of the Association for Female Diakonie, just two days later Caroline Rheineck, Helene von Meyer from Nuremberg and Amalie Rehm became heads of the Diakonissenhaus. The Mayor of Memmingen and the Memmingen women's group tried in vain to bind Caroline and Amalie to Memmingen. Rather, on March 17, 1854, Amalie Rehm was appointed by Caroline Rheineck as headmistress, and on May 9, 1854, the educational institution began its work. Due to the limited space, the Diakonissenanstalt was on the first floor of the Gasthaus Zur Sonne, the administrators pushed for a new building. On June 23, 1854, Amalie Rehm took part in the laying of the foundation stone. After Caroline Rheineck died on August 21, 1855, Amalie Rehm became the first director. Luise von Unold supported her as the second head, while Helene von Meyer was responsible for the housework. The latter resigned from the board at her own request. The sisters expressed the wish to consecrate Amalie Rehm as superior. On February 2, 1858, Amalie was solemnly blessed by Wilhelm Löhe and appointed superior of the deaconess institution. Subsequently, the tasks of the rector, vice rector, superior, teaching sister and others were reorganized. Amalie Rehm, as superior, was supposed to take care of the internal affairs of the deaconess institution. The supervision of the affiliated institutions was also part of their area of ​​responsibility. She had to keep the books, represent the house in court, and give the lessons.

In Munich, together with Pastor Löhe, in March 1867 she prepared the establishment of a new station for the Neuendettelsau deaconesses. Subsequently, she visited the Bavarian Prime Minister Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst and the mother of King Ludwig II. Marie of Prussia . When the founder Wilhelm Löhe died, a new rector was elected in Neuendettelsau, in which all sisters were allowed to participate. Was elected Friedrich Meyer .

Because of an asthma sufferer , Amalie Rehm's work became more and more difficult, which is why she was dependent on several spa stays. On February 21, 1883, she could not get up due to tumors on her feet and died on March 11, 1883 in the presence of the rector and three sisters. Four days later, Amalie Rehm was buried in the Neuendettelsau cemetery, where her grave is still preserved.

literature

• Anita Klenovsky, Franz Klenovsky, Manfred Angele, Christoph Engelhard: Amalie Rehm . Life and work of the first matron of the Neuendettelsau deaconess institution 1815-1883. Ed .: Stadtarchiv Memmingen (=  materials on the history of Memmingen, Series B: Research ). 2015, ISSN  1438-7336 .

Web links

• Extensive online exhibition on Amalie Rehm